Oliver Melton is an analyst with the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the U.S. Department of State, where he focuses on Chinese economic issues. Over the past decade, he has covered Chinese economic, military, and social issues for the Economist Intelligence Unit, the China Economic Quarterly, Voice of America, and CENTRA Technology.

Melton received a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago. He speaks and reads Chinese.

Last Updated: October 16, 2017

Viewpoint

10.16.17

Why Do We Keep Writing About Chinese Politics As if We Know More Than We Do?

Jessica Batke & Oliver Melton
In the coming weeks, every major Western newspaper and many top China analysts will be making strong claims about Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s political position in the wake of the 19th Party Congress. These reports will build off years of tea-leaf...